JEDDAH: The Saudi Commission for Tourism and National Heritage (SCTNH) has settled the debate surrounding identity verification of veiled women at hotels and furnished apartments.

An official at SCTNH said that hotels will not be obliged to employ women at reception desks to verify the identity of female clients.

The director of the SCTNH branch in Tabuk, Nasser Al-Khuraisi, said in a statement to a local newspaper that control and supervision teams will monitor the application of the decision to allow women to lodge in hotels alone using their personal identity documents.

He said the commission will not tolerate any violations in this regard, adding that the body will adopt the prices submitted by the licensee in accordance with the tourism system.

He said the hotels that violate regulations and charge women occupants more will face punishments and a fine of SR10,000.

He said that if women lodged in hotels, this will not affect the relationship between the hospitality facility and the clients due to the existence of contractual obligations between the two sides.

"There is no need to recruit women to confirm the identities of women at hotels. The management of the facility must inform the police center in accordance with the circulations issued to hotels," said the SCTNH branch director in Tabuk.